Electric cars may be gaining popularity because of fuel savings and a reduced impact on the environment, but the type of battery typically used in these cars could pose a problem if not properly recycled. Not only is having a recycling program for batteries from electric cars good for the environment, but it helps consumers avoid some safety issues associated with battery disposal.

Safety Issues

The first consideration regarding an electric car battery is that it typically weighs about 550 pounds. This obviously poses a problem when the average driver is attempting to dispose of such a large item. A recycling program would allow consumers to take their used batteries to a place where the battery would be handled using the appropriate lifting equipment.

Much of the energy contained in the battery remains there even after the battery can no longer be used to power a vehicle. A safety hazard is posed by this storage of unused energy. Electric shock from the leftover charge may injure a person, and there is a significant fire risk.

Established Used Electric Car Battery Programs

There are some car companies that have already partnered with recyclers to allow consumers to recycle an electric car battery.

Toxco operates a plant in Canada that specializes in using state-of-the-art technology to recycle lithium-ion batteries.

In Europe, car manufacturer Tesla has established its own program for allowing consumers to recycle a spent battery from an electric vehicle.

Toyota allows Prius owners to take the battery to the dealership to be recycled.

How To Recycle a Used Electric Vehicle BatteryConsumers should start by consulting the owner’s manual for their electric vehicle. Details on how to recycle a spent battery is likely to be found somewhere in the manual. If no information can be found, call a customer service representative.

Consumers can also contact a local recycling plant for a referral to a facility that can handle a large lithium-ion battery.

The bottom line is that electric cars cannot be considered fully green unless the manufacturer has established a way for consumers to recycle the battery.

Even people wanting to live a green lifestyle deserve to throw a party once in a while. However, having concern for the environment can make the party planning process complicated. How can a person throw a fun bash without making a lot of trash?

Green Invitations

People planning a party should look into companies that only sell invitations that have been made from recycled materials. Research whether recycling materials were also used for the envelopes. There are even websites that allow people to design their own recycled invitations.

An even more environmentally-friendly option is foregoing paper invitations entirely and sticking to evites via email or social media websites.

Can Food Choices at Parties Impact the Environment?

Make a point to only purchase enough food for the amount of people coming to the event. This cuts down on the possibility of wasted food ending up in the trash.

For the most green food selections, stick with minimally-processed, locally sourced foods.

Decorating Sans the Landfill

Instead of purchasing paper decorations, decorate by using natural items like fresh flowers, pine cones and dried berries. Recycling is built in as these items can often be used in a compost pile after the event.

Keep trash out of a landfill after an event by choosing only materials that are recycled and can be sent to a center again for repurposing. Recyclerfinder.com is a great resource that lets users find a recycling center in the local area.

Massive quantities of soap scraps go to waste every day in America. Most people throw them in the garbage, adding to the nation’s many landfills. Some are burned in trash incinerators. Other scraps go down the drain, often helping to clog the pipes. All of this waste leads to unnecessary production of hand soaps and packaging materials.

Fortunately, a couple of nonprofit organizations are working to change this. The Global Soap Project collects scraps from American motels and uses them to manufacture new soaps. It gives the new bars to poor people, primarily in African countries. This green recycling process both benefits the environment and protects people from diseases.

Clean the World is a similar recycling organization. It obtains scraps from hotels and manufacturers. CTW also holds local collection drives in various parts of the country. This green nonprofit helps people in 45 nations, including Honduras. It supplies free products to American homeless shelters as well. CTW is based in Orlando, Florida.

There are several different ways to help these organizations recycle soap. Anyone may volunteer or donate cash. An alternative is to start a local collection drive in cooperation with Clean the World. Motel and inn owners can aid these organizations by collecting and donating scraps from their guest rooms.

People also have the option to collect their own scraps and recycle them into new bars. Although this won’t help people in poor countries, it does save money and benefit the environment. Detailed instructions are available from RecycleThis.co.uk and National Geographic.

Going green is a popular way to live these days, but how far can people take their attempt to lessen their impact on the environment? While most people know that using less electricity, water and fossil fuels is a great way to help the planet, most are unaware that their choice in pets can make an impact as well.

Greener Pet Choices

The first thing to note when deciding on a green pet choice is that the population of dogs and cats in the United States is out of control. A step toward a greener pet is to choose an older dog or cat to discourage the intentional breeding of animals for commercial purposes. Breeding cats and dogs simply fuels the overpopulation of these animals, while adopting a pet is almost like a form of recycling.

A benefit of owning a dog or cat is that their feces can be used for compost. In turn, the compost can be used to grow food for pets.

Environmentally-friendly Pet Supplies

Companies that embrace recycled materials for use in their products are the best option. Consumers should choose a company that only uses recycled, sustainable materials in its products.

Some examples of unique green products for pets include a cat toilet that eliminates the need for cat litter waste, pesticide-free grooming products that are safer for use on animals and around humans and hemp collars that are more comfortable for animals to wear regularly.

Pet owners can help the environment even more by recycling pet products after use.

Which American city recycles the most? A study of major cities sponsored by Nalgene, a company that makes reusable drinking bottles, gives us some indication. By their measurements, San Francisco recycles more glass, metal, and plastics than anywhere else. Ninety percent of San Franciscans report that they recycle. San Francisco’s commitment to recycling is clearly part of a larger concern for the environment. The Nalgene study named it the most “green” city overall, as well.

It’s no surprise that San Francisco gets such high marks for caring for the environment. The city government has launched a “zero waste” initiative that aims to completely eliminate waste by the year 2020. According to the latest statics offered by the city, it already recovers 77% of the materials it discards. It has accomplished this through proactive efforts by the local government: all residents are required to separate recyclable and compostable material from their trash, and building owners and event managers must provide color-coded receptacles for recyclable materials. The city government also promotes awareness in various ways, including a television advertising campaign. In addition, it has worked to ensure that every residence has access to a recycling service.

Most cities aren’t as green as San Francisco, but with RecyclerFinder.com, it’s easy and free to find the nearest recycling center, no matter where in America you live. Recyclerfinder.com also offers a mobile app that allows you to keep the nearest facility’s information in your phone through the use of a QR reader.

People who require vision correction may not stop and think about the environmental impact of their choices. Some people prefer contact lenses over eyeglasses because they are less bulky. Other people prefer not to hassle with lens cases, soaking solutions and remembering when to replace their disposable contacts. When basing their decision on its impact on the planet, is there a clear choice?

Because contacts and eyeglasses are both so small, it is difficult to imagine either having a significant negative effect on the environment. However, the manufacture of polycarbonate, a material often used to make eyeglass lenses, requires the use of toxic chemicals. Contact lenses are sold in blister packs that are also often packaged in cardboard packages. Contact lens users may go through up to 15 12-ounce bottles of solution per year. With more than 100 million people in the world using contact lenses, that is a lot of waste.

The amount of lens solution required depends on the type of lenses. Daily use contact lens wearers are less likely to go through several bottles of solution per year, but they will discard more packaging than wearers who change their contacts less often. When it comes to glasses, frame-less styles use less raw material.

Regardless of the type of lens used, wearers can help save the planet by recycling as much as possible. In many countries, glasses can be recycled through a variety of organizations. Recycling options are also available for the cardboard and plastic packaging that houses contact lenses. Recyclefinder.com can help lens wearers find local facilities to recycle their eyewear so they can help the environment and produce less waste.